Israeli-Iranian coalition call on Albanese govt to 'crack down' on Islamic extremism before it can 'take root' on home soil

Sky News AU

10 hours ago

A Jewish and an Iranian-Australian coalition have called on the Albanese government to 'crack down' on Islamic extremism before it can "take root" on home soil.
A Jewish and an Iranian-Australian coalition have called on the Albanese government to crack down on Islamic extremism before it can "take root" on home soil.
Israeli-Australian Roz Mendelle said she was concerned about extremism being promoted by Greens politicians and prominent activists across Australia.
Ms Mendelle became trapped in Jerusalem after Iran began targeting civilian centres in missile strikes on Israel earlier this month in retaliation to the IDF's tactical bombings of Iranian nuclear and military targets in mid-June.
After she received videos of 'violent protests and marches' back home from Iranian colleagues and friends, Ms Mendelle said the Greens politicians and activists were calling for sanctions on Israel while 'excusing' the actions of the regime's terror proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
'With this in mind, I hope the government will crack down on these extremists who are spreading hate at home,' Ms Mendelle told SkyNews.com.au. Fighting Islamic extremism on home soil
Ms Mendelle is the founder and co-director of Brisbane-based Minority Impact, a self-described group of Australians from multi-ethnic backgrounds united in promoting social cohesion and opposing radicalism.
Minority Impact is currently running a national campaign in solidarity with Iranian refugees who are calling for a free Iran.
Iranian-Australian Azin Naghibi, who is a co-director of Minority Impact, said she connected with Ms Mendelle after October 7 when Hamas shared footage of its barbaric attacks on Israeli citizens.
Ms Naghibi said after October 7, radicalism had taken place on the steps of the Sydney Opera House which made her realise Israelis and Iranians had one thing in common.
"(It) struck me that Israelis and Iranians are suffering from the same enemies: radical Islamists and terrorist ideology," Ms Naghibi told SkyNews.com.au.
Ms Naghibi said she connected with Ms Mendelle and others, including members of the Hindu community who were also victims of persecution, to stave off radical Islamic extremism in Australia.
"We have established the Minority Impact Coalition organisation to work together to make Australia safer for all minorities. We don't want to see radicalism take root here in our second home," she said.
Ms Naghibi said the story of Israeli Shani Louk, who was kidnapped from the Nova festival before she was tortured, raped and killed, reminded her of a similar brutal repression of women in Iran.
"We had a similar story that had happened in Iran during the 2022 national uprising known as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Her name was Nika Shakarami, whose life was taken facing similar brutality and violence at the hands of the IRGC, the terrorist organisation in Iran," she said.
Ms Naghibi recounted a moment from 2009, before migrating to Australia, where she and her husband watched a young Iranian protester get shot "right in front of our eyes" by the IRGC.
"My husband and I, along with others, helped put his body into a car to take him to the hospital, but later we found out it was too late," she said.
"That moment was a turning point in our lives; we could no longer be the same people as before. From that day on, we committed ourselves to doing whatever we could against the Islamic regime and its oppressive forces."
Ms Naghibi said she and her husband attended every protest and were beaten "several times" at demonstrations.
They were also exposed to numerous threats after they stopped identifying as Muslims.
"One significant incident was when the Islamic regime shut down our business, accusing us of being followers of Satan," she said.
"In short, everything culminated in a situation where our lives were at risk, leading us to flee the country and seek for a safe haven in Australia."
She said she and her husband fled Iran to Australia because they believed it would be "our safe haven", but realised the Islamic regime in Iran has attempted to "export their ideology, even here in Australia".
"We have seen that after October 7, many terrorists used the anti-Israel movement to spread hate within society," she said.
"We want the Australian government to make Australia safe for everyone.' — Morgan C. Jonas 🇦🇰 (@morgancjonas) June 23, 2025 Holding Australian society together
Ms Mendelle said most Australians do not realise the war between Iran and Israel was 'unique'.
'It's a war against oppression and terrorism, at the source. The same extremist regime in Iran that funds Hamas and Hezbollah is also building nuclear weapons and silencing its own citizens,' she said
Ms Mendelle said she wanted the same 'spirit of cohesion' and mutual respect in Australia as was prevalent in Israel among Jews, Arab Israelis, Druze, Baha'is and other groups.
'Since the October 7th massacre, which was funded primarily by this oppressive Iranian regime, Jewish Australians have struggled to feel support from the Labor government,' she said.
'Now, in a time when Israel is helping to prevent an oppressive dictator from building nuclear weapons, I expect our government to show moral clarity and unashamed support.'
She urged Australians to listen to people who have fled the Iranian regime, who had 'lost daughters' and who still carry the scars of oppression.
'If you want peace—stand with the people, not the oppressors,' she said.
'We need a government that stands for truth and freedom. The Australian government can help bring Australian society together by demonstrating strength against violent and inciteful actors, adding the Iranian Regime's IRGC to the terror list (which USA and Canada have already done), and helping to humanise and support all minorities.' Trapped in the Middle East
Ms Naghibi's family remains in Tehran and when Israeli media and the Trump administration alerted people to leave Iran's capital, she and her family immediately began to worry.
"We were all panicked - what's going to happen? I hardly contacted my mum and asked if they had a plan to leave Tehran, she said they feel safe as the Israeli Airforce were only targeting the military bases and IRGC commanders," she said.
"But (she) promised me as soon as they think it's not safe anymore they will go to the north."
Ms Naghibi said Iranians believed their country had been "occupied by the Islamic regime".
She said Ruhollah Khomeini - the first leader of the regime - said Islam was "against nationalism" and wanted people to be part of the Islamic Ummah, and not part of a nation.
"Therefore, Iranians see the Islamic regime and the IRGC as our enemies who spend our money to export terrorism and radical ideology against Western civilisation," she said.
"Iranians believe this was not, and will not be, our war; this is Ali Khamenei's war. He wants a nuclear bomb to make his dream come true: to wipe Israel off the map."
Ms Mendelle said the war did not start with the exchange of rockets, but had been ongoing for decades.
'As Israelis, whether Jewish or Arab, we are accustomed to being the target of air strikes and terror. This war with the regime in Iran did not start with this escalation - the Islamic Regime has been funding terror networks around the world for decades, including Hamas and Hezbollah, bringing death and ruin to innocent civilians across the region,' she said before President Donald Trump announced Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire"
'We are scared. We all remain a stone's throw from a bomb shelter. When a siren rings, I have 90 seconds to get underground. It takes me, with both babies under three, 60 seconds from our door to the shelter.'
Ms Mendelle said she shared a bomb shelter with a number of families from different backgrounds, including a family of Eritrean refugees, a Muslim Arab Israeli single mother and a number of Jewish families with children.
She said her daughter, who celebrated her third birthday while sheltering from Iranian bombs, knew 'something serious' was happening, but forgot the stress and began playing with the other children despite the dangers outside.
'There is something different this time. Unity. Confidence. We know we are doing the most noble mission imaginable; preventing a diabolic dictator from using nuclear weapons,' Ms Mendelle said.
She said it would help 'free the brave men and women of Iran' who had been 'begging' for the rest of the world to wake up and hear their cries since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
'We all want peace, and we want nothing more than to help Iranians reclaim their rights, their freedoms, and build a true peace-waging democracy,' she said.
'After all, at least we have a bomb shelter. Here in Israel, our government does everything possible to protect its citizens—sirens, shelters, coordination. In Iran, the people are unprotected, censored, and silenced, with no access to internet or safety.'
Ms Mendelle said this simple difference was a 'chilling reminder' of the privilege citizens of democracies take for granted.